Analytical Capabilities

VINSE Analytical laboratory contains a comprehensive set of processing and characterization tools for extensive chemical and structural characterization of the materials. Analytical suite of high-performance analytical instrumentation facilitates the investigation of both individual nanoparticles and bulk materials.

Confocal Raman Microscope - Thermo Scientific DXR

532 nm (10 mW) and 780 nm (24 mW) depolarized lasers with power regulated in 0.1 mW
Microscope independently certified as class-1 laser safe
10X, 50X and 100X optical objectives
Motorized mapping stage: 1 µm x, y spatial resolution, 2 µm precision depth-profiling
Full-range grating 3500-50 cm^-1, resolution 5 cm^-1,
High-range grating 1800-50 cm^-1, resolution 3 cm^-1
Extended spectral range for 532 nm laser to 6,000 cm^-1, resolution 8 cm^-1
Sensitivity (signal to noise ratio) 532 nm laser 1000:1, 780 nm high brightness laser 150:1
Wavenumber accuracy ± 2.0 cm^-1
Proprietary auto alignment and calibration across entire spectral range
Confocal and high-energy collection modes
Confocal depth resolution — demonstrated as good as 1.7 µm on ideal sample
Supports surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) measurements
Automatic fluorescence correction
Research-quality Olympus viewing optics
Proprietary algorithm for automated cosmic ray rejection

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer - JBruker Tensor 27

Permanently aligned cube corner RockSolidTM interferometer
DigiTectTMdetector system, high sensitivity DLATGS
Near-IR, Mid-IR and Far-IR capability: 7500-370 cm^-1
Resolution better than 1 cm^-1
Wavenumber Accuracy better than 0.01 cm^-1
Photometric Accuracy better than 0.1 % T
PMA 50 module for polarization modulation
Monolayer Reflectance Absorbance Spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS)
Vibrational Circular or Linear Dichroism (VCD/VLD) capability
Seagull variable angle reflection accessory

NanoAssemblr - Precision Nanosystems Benchtop

Microfluidics-based manufacture of novel nanoparticles by controlled nanoprecipitation.
Nucleic acid lipid nanoparticles, liposomes, polymer NPs, emulsions, organic/inorganic NPs
Isolated fluid path prevents cross-contamination
Laminar fluid flow and time-invariant mixing
Rapid mixing (<3 ms)
<2 min per formulation
Prepare 1 to 15 mL nanoparticles / run
Flow rate: 1 mL/min – 18 mL/min
Syringe compatibility 1, 3, 5, 10 mL
“Limit Size” is controlled by nanoparticle composition
Heating controller: 20-70 °C, 3 and 1 mL syringes

NanoSight - Malvern Panalytical NS300

Measurement type: Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA)
Rapid analysis of the size distribution and concentration of all types of nanoparticles from 0.01 - 1 µm. Detection of labels when using in fluorescence mode
Concentration range: 10⁶ to 10⁹ particles per mL
Low-volume flow cell provides data from as little as 250 μL of sample
Flow Mode for improved sampling statistics
He-Ne laser 642nm, Max 40mW
20x magnification microscope
Computer controlled motorized focus
Camera: sCMOS
Fluorescence: motorized filter wheel
The camera operates at 30 frames per second (fps)
Temperature control range: from 5 °C below ambient to 50 °

Nitrogen Glovebox - Mbraun Unilab Workstation

Modular nitrogen glove box
External gas purification system
Large and small standard antechambers
Programmable logic controller control with touch-screen monitor
Attainable box atmosphere purity of <1 ppm H₂O, <1ppm O₂
Box integrated freezer ( -35 ^oC)
Internal Argon, Vacuum lines

Quartz Crystal Microbalance w/ Dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) - Biolin Scientific Qsense E4

Number of sensors: 4, also possible to measure using only 1,2 or 3 sensors
Volume above each sensor: ~ 40 μl
Minimum sample volume: ~300 μl
Working temperature: 15 to 65 °C, controlled via the software, stability +-0.02 K
Typical flow rates: 50-200 μl/min
All parts exposed to liquid can easily be removed and cleaned in e.g. ultrasonic bath
Sensor crystals: 5 MHz, 14 mm diameter, polished, AT-cut, gold electrodes
Flow cell material: titanium
Frequency range: 1-70 MHz (allows 7 frequencies, up to the 13th overtone, 65 Mhz for a 5 MHz crystal)
Maximum mass sensitivity in liquid ~ 0.5 ng/cm² (5 pg/mm²)
Normal mass sensitivity in liquid ~ 1.8 ng/cm² (18pg/mm²)
Maximum dissipation sensitivity in liquid ~ 0.04 x 10^-6
Normal dissipation sensitivity in liquid ~ 0.1 x 10^-6
Modules: window, electrochemistry, high temperature module, ellipsometry

Schlenk Line - Dual Manifold Vacuum/Argon Line

One manifold is connected to a source of purified inert gas, while the other is connected to a high vacuum pump
The inert gas line is vented through an oil bubbler, while solvent vapors and gaseous products are prevented from contaminating the pump through a cold trap
Special stopcocks allow for vacuum or inert gas to be selected without the need for placing the sample on a separate line
Several ports/lines for several operations to be run at the same time

Spectrophotofluorometer - Jobin Yvon Fluorolog-3 FL3-111

Operating range from 220 nm to 3000 nm
No grating or detector configuration changes to the system are necessary for operation from 220 nm to 1600 nm
Manual emission detector change is needed to extend the range out to 3000 nm
Source- ozone-free Xenon arc lamp 450 W with output from 220 nm to 2500 nm
Excitation and Emission monochromators- modified Czerny-Turner design with spherical and toroidal mirrors to eliminate astigmatism
Kinematically mounted classically ruled grating
The monochromator’s slits can be adjusted from .2 nm to 30 nm in .1 nm increments
The monochromators have a wavelength accuracy of 0.5 nm over their scanning range and wavelength repeatability of 0.1 nm
Each monochromator automatically self-calibrates its wavelength and slit positions on start-up
Sample compartment- T-format design to accommodate one excitation and two emission monochromators simultaneously
Achromatic reflective aluminized front face focusing mirrors. The MgF2 protected aluminized mirrors reflect from the vacuum UV to far IR (which includes the 250 nm to 3000 nm region)
1:1 imaging from the monochromator slits to the sample provides for precise focusing on micro volume samples
A silicon photodiode reference detector serves to monitor the Xenon lamp’s spectrum so it can be ratioed out on the fly or after the fact for corrected excitation spectra
A mechanical excitation shutter automatically prevents sample photobleaching when data isn’t being taken
Emission detectors- each of the three emission detectors has a range that it works over
Hamamatsu R928 PMT with room temperature housing, HV power supply and single photon counting amplifier discriminator electronic module has a range from 200 nm to 900 nm
PbS thermoelectrically cooled solid-state IR detector with preamp, thermoelectric cooler power supply, IR detector housing (with 6:1 achromatic reflective aluminized front face focusing mirror) and current to frequency electronic module has a range from 1000 nm to 3000 nm
InGaAs liquid nitrogen cooled solid-state NIR detector with preamp and 15-volt power supply (for use with the InAs detector’s IR detector housing and current to frequency electronic module) has a range from 800 nm to 1600 nm
Radiometric emission correction factors for every relevant grating and detector combination are provided to correct for the wavelength response of the grating and detector. The radiometric correction factor can be applied after the fact or on the fly for corrected emission spectra
Software- FluorEssence™ merges spectrofluorometer data-acquisition directly to the Origin® software
Liquid sample holder for standard (10 mm path length) cuvette

Spectrophotometer - Agilent Technologies Cary 5000

175 to 3300 nm measurement range using a PbSmart NIR detector
Scan rate in the UV-Vis: .001 to 2000 nm/min or 0.075 to 31206 cm^-1/min or 0.01 to 20000 Å/min. NIR scan rate 0.004 to 8000 nm/min or 0.019 to 57142 cm^-1/min and 0.04 Å to 80000 Å/min
Beyond 8.0 absorbance units with reference beam attenuation
Sample compartment with LockDown mechanism for quick changes and positioning for reproducible results
Schwarzschild coupling
Littrow monochromator
Nitrogen pumping – separate purging in the sample and monochromator compartments
Liquid Cell holder incorporating standard (10 mm pathlength) rectangular cell holders
Liquid Cell holder for temperature-controlled measurements with the range 0 to 100 °C
Solid Sample Holder with the aperture masks to allow beam collimation and measurement of small samples
Near-Normal Specular Reflection Accessory - 8° angle of incidence with interchangeable masks for examining small samples or small areas on large samples: 3 and 6 mm in diameter
Universal measurement accessory to measure absolute specular reflectance, transmission and scattering at different polarizations and a wide range of angles in 0.02° intervals using two-color rotating Si/InGaAs detector in a range 190-2800 nm

Spectroscopic Ellipsometer - JA Woollam M-2000

Operating range from UV 370 nm extended to NIR 1690nm
370-1000nm, 390 wavelengths, 1005-1690nm, 190 wavelengths
Detector CCD
Angle of incidence range: 15 °- 90 °
Modular optical design
Data acquisition rate (complete Spectrum) 0.05 seconds (2-5 seconds is typical)
Max substrate thickness 18 mm
Heat cell to control the sample temperature from room temperature to 300 ° Purge gas capability
LiquidCell with capacity 5 mL and angle of incidence 75° to fit 50 mm silicon wafers and 3x1 inch glass microscope slides
Combined QCM-D/Ellipsometry setup for real-time characterization of thin molecular films with the angle of incidence of 65°
Measure thin film thickness and optical constants
Measure the optical constants (both n and k) from any type of material, whether dielectric, organic, semiconductor, or metal
Sensitive to less than a monolayer of material (sub-nm) on a surface and yet can determine thickness for transparent films up to tens of microns

Stylus Profilometer - Bruker Dektak 150

Measurement Technique: contact stylus profilometry
Measurement Capability: two-dimensional surface profile measurements
Sample Viewing 640 x 480-pixel (1/3 in.-format) camera
Stylus Sensor Low-Inertia Sensor (LIS 3)
Stylus Force 1 to 12 mg with LIS 3 sensor
Stylus radius: 12.5 μm
Sample Stage Manual X/Y/, 100 x 100 mm X-Y translation, 360° rotation, manual leveling
Scan Length Range: 55 mm
Data Points Per Scan 120,000 maximum
Sample Thickness Up to 90 mm
Wafer Size: 150 mm
Step Height Repeatability: 6 Å
Vertical Range 524 μm
Vertical Resolution 1 Å max. (at 6.55 μm range)

Thermogravimetric Analyzer - Instrument Specialties TGA 1000

Temperature range: ambient to 1000 °C
Weight measuring ranges: up to 20 or 200 mg
Heating and cooling rate 0.1-300 °C /min
Weight readability: 0.001 mg
Temperature Accuracy: +/- 0.5 °C
Temperature Segments: 10, each segment includes a ramp, isothermal hold and a gas switch
Dual PID controller
Time vs. temperature profiles

UV Ozone Cleaner - Jelight M42

Cleaning tray size 6x6 inch
Max height adjustment 1.5 inch
Highly efficient source of UV light: 185 nm and 254 nm. Atomic oxygen is simultaneously generated when molecular oxygen and ozone is dissociated
The process does not damage sensitive device structures of MOS gate oxide
Substrate UV cleaning prior to thin film deposition
Cleaning of silicon wafers, lenses, mirrors, solar panels, cold rolled steel
Enhancing oxide passivated surfaces
Enhance outgassing of glass
Improve adhesion of coatings on plastics
Growing oxide layers on silicon wafers
Cleaning circuit boards prior to packaging/adhesion
Increase hydrophilic characteristics of surfaces
UV Cleaning and sterilization for bioscience applications

Zetasizer - Malvern Panalytical Advance Series Ultra (Red Label)

Measurement types: particle/molecular size, absolute molecular weight, zeta potential
Measurement types: particle/molecular size, particle concentration, absolute molecular weight, zeta potential
Size measurement from 0.3 nm (diameter) to 10 microns using patented NIBS (Non-Invasive Back Scatter) Dynamic Light Scattering, Dynamic Light Scattering (90° and 13°), Multi-Angle Dynamic Light Scattering (MADLS)
Zeta potential using patented M3-PALS technology and Constant Current Mode
Molecular weight measurement using Static Light Scattering (90° and 173°)
Protein size measurement as dilute as 0.1 mg/mL 15kDa Protein
Sample concentrations from 0.1 ppm to 40% w/v
Temperature range extension option to 120 °C
Incorporates polarization, fluorescence optical filters
He-Ne laser 633 nm, Max 10 mW

Measurement type: Particle size and molecular size
Measurement range 0.3nm – 10.0 microns (diameter)
Measurement principle: Dynamic Light Scattering (NIBS and MADLS)
Minimum sample volume: 3µL

Measurement type: Zeta potential (and optional Protein Mobility)
Measurement principle: Mixed-Mode Measurement phase analysis light scattering (M3-PALS)
Measurement range: 3.8nm – 100 microns (diameter)
Minimum sample volume: 20µL
Concentration range: 1 mg/mL to 40% w/v
Sensitivity: 10mg/mL (BSA)

Measurement type: Molecular weight
Measurement range: 980Da – 20M Da
Measurement principle: Static Light Scattering using Debye plot
Accuracy: +/- 10% typical
Measurement type: Particle concentration
Measurement principle: MADLS – Particle concentration (Mie)
Concentration range: 1x10⁸ to1x10¹² particles/mL